in praise of the lowly bunching onion . . .

[digitS']

The 2 bunches of little ones grow together like shallots in the garden, in little bunches. These are "Four Seasons" and were started from seed in April. They were transplanted out in July.

The larger onions on top in the photo are Tokyo White. It took quite a bit of stripping to remove the tough older leaves but seed was planted in the greenhouse way back in late winter and they've been in the open garden the entire growing season. And yes, they were used as scallions from the get-go . . . and here they are today.

Tokyo White and some of the other bunching onions I have grown do not grow in a "bunch" in the same way Four Seasons does. They looked rather like leeks when I pulled these out a couple days ago. However, they are onions with the characteristic hollow leaves and flavor.

. . . . scallions all season long? I don't know of a better way!

Steve

 

[obsessed]

Good to know thanks for the info...

 

[simple life]

Steve what is your favorite way to use scallions?
I always toy with the idea but even though I use onions in alot of recipes I am not sure that I would use scallions in enough to warrant growing them.

 

[digitS']

scallions = green onions

I grow them from sets in the early months, snitch sweet onions while they are still small and haven't formed bulbs, and use the bunching onions later in the season.

I'm not much of a salad eater so they usually arrive at the table in stir-fries.

I grow lots of onions and shallots. (Haven't grown garlic in years.) This season, I decided that I could include an order for leek plants with some sweet onion plants we were ordering from Texas. They sent us Sterling sweet onions instead of the leeks!! I didn't know it until I was setting them out and just decided that I may as well try a 3rd sweet onion variety.

Sterling is real nice and is suppose to keep a good long while but this is the 1st year without leeks since I learned that they would grow well here.

Onions are wonderful . . .

Steve

 

[digitS']

Here's a picture of the Tokyo Whites in the garden about a month ago.

I'm not the best photographer but these aren't really out of focus - It was a very, very windy day.

They could almost be called Tokyo "Blues."

Steve

 

[simple life]

Thanks Steve, I guess I thought that bunching onions had a different texture than the globe onions.
I like that crunch you get when you put diced onions in mashed potatoes and things like that.
I had the impression that bunching onions had the same shape and texture as chives, thin and flat with no crunch.

 

[digitS']

weeeell sorta, Natalie . . .

Yeah, then there's chives. That's the 1st of my onions in the spring. But, they are rather chewy.

Bunching onions are more like the scallions from sets. But, those guys get kind of hot and form bulbs later in the season. Nothing wrong with them, tho'.

Four Season is especially tender but both have a nice flavor.

S'

 

[injunjoe]

Steve great photos!
Looks like you have this plant down to a science!
That first pic. is so full of color, makes me hungry bro.

Thanks; Joe